Father’s Day is June 16, so make sure you get
out there and show Dad (or the Dad-like guy in your life) a good time this
weekend. There’s lots going on the next few days: stuff to do with Pops, and
plenty to check out on your own once Dad starts talking about how wrecked the
government is and how tough he had it when he was a kid (sorry, Dad, but it
gets old).
Newport’s Italianfest runs Friday-Sunday on
the Levee. Food is obviously a highlight at this annual fest; expect plenty of
pizza, pasta, cannoli and gelato from area restaurants. There will also be live
music, cooking and eating contests, rides and games and a photo exhibit of
Italians that settled in Newport generations ago. Admission is free; go here for
hours and more info.Cincinnati Opera’s summer season kicks off with Mozart’s
comic drama, Don Giovanni. The opener’s
second showing is Saturday. Read our full Opera season preview here.
Jungle Jim’s is known for being the go-to
grocery store for exotic types of meats, fancy cheeses, rare candy and
produce from around the world, but it also has an extensive beer selection.
Friday and Saturday, Jim’s hosts an International Beer Fest featuring 350 beers from 100 breweries across the globe. Tickets are $40 for
Friday, $45 for Saturday, $15 for designated drivers and can be purchased at
the store’s beer and wine department while they last (online sales have
ended).
The City Flea takes over
Washington Park Saturday. Browse furniture, clothing, housewares, accessories
and other vintage, antique, local and handmade goodies, plus food from local
vendors and food trucks from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Does your father love pork? Of course he
does, this is America! Bring Dad to Covington for MainStrasse Village’s “Original” Goettafest Friday-Sunday. Find
ample versions of the sausagey Cincinnati stable along with plenty of beer,
music, shopping and other festival favorites. Go here
for details.
For more stuff to do this weekend, check out
our To Do
picks full calendar
and Rick Pender’s Stage
Door
for weekend theater offerings.More to look forward to: Peep our Summer Guide, tucked into this week's issue, for all sorts of seasonal goodness to keep you busy all summer long. And be sure to get tickets to next Wednesday's Margarita Madness celebration at Newport on the Levee. Admission is $20 in advance ($25 at the Levee, if there are still tickets available) and includes ample tequila and margarita samples, summery bites from area restaurants and live music and DJs, all from 5:30-9 p.m. June 19. Get tickets and more info here.

The 2013 Cincinnati Fringe Festival wraps up
this weekend with final performances Friday and Saturday. If you still haven’t checked out any of the
freaky, funny, unique performances in this 10th annual fest, go here
to check out show reviews and find a full schedule and festival guide.
Cincinnati Rollergirls host their last home
game of the season at the Cincinnati Gardens Saturday. The 'girls face Kitchener,
Ontario’s Tri-City Roller Girls in a double-header that kicks off at 7 p.m. And
it’s Fan Appreciation Night, so expect plenty of free CRG goodies throughout
the night! Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door ($15/$17 for courtside
seats). Happy Hour (dolla dolla beers, y’all) starts at 6 p.m. Find tickets and
more info here.
Last weekend, teams of filmmakers throughout
Cincinnati (and across 125 other participating cities throughout the world)
participated in the 48 Hour Film Project, requiring them to write, shoot and edit a movie in just two days. On Friday,
they received a movie genre, character, prop and a line of dialogue to include
in the short film and the rest was up to them — the finished product had to be
completed by Sunday. This Sunday, the
public can check out the eclectic mix of results at the Thompson House.
Screenings take place at 1:30 p.m., 4:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and admission is
$10 for a single screening group, $30 for the whole day.
Short Vine in Corryville is on its way to
becoming the next happenin’ spot in the local arts scene. Don’t believe me?
Check out the opening of 71 Gallery (2609 Vine St.) 5-10 p.m. Friday. Local
artist Tony Dotson has created the space for outsider artists like himself as
well as graphic designers. The gallery’s debut artist is Eye Candy Design
agency’s Janet
Berberich, who also works on Short Vine. Berberich also helped develop Artbeat
on Short Vine, a monthly event that also kicks off Friday. Check out our
feature on Dotson and Berberich here.
Date Night
Movies return to Washington park Saturdays this Summer but don’t let the event
name fool you — anyone can enjoy these free, open-air films. The movies run
9-11 p.m. every Saturday through Aug. 17 (no movies Aug. 3-10). This week’s
selection is the 1954 mystery classic, Rear
Window. Go here
for a full lineup of summer events at Washington Park.For more stuff to do this weekend, check out our To Do picks
full calendar and Rick
Pender’s Stage
Door
for weekend theater offerings.

Photography’s bad boy, Tyler Shields, returns
to Cincinnati for another exhibit at Miller Gallery, kicked off with an opening
reception in Over-the-Rhine Friday. Known for his controversial celebrity
photos, Shields last exhibited at Miller Gallery in October as part of
FotoFocus. Now he’s back showing off his latest collection of photos, Suspense, featuring images of people
falling, floating and flipping across striking backgrounds. Friday’s opening is
a pop-up gallery party at the Hanke Building (1130 Main St., OTR). VIP $50
tickets grant 8 p.m. admission, free valet parking, an open bar and photo op
with Shields. General admission from 9 p.m.-midnight is $10 and includes three
drink tickets. It’s
sure to be a super party and a great chance to brush shoulders with the “who’s
who” of the art community. Proceeds benefit Flashes of Hope, a national nonprofit with the
mission to photograph every child with cancer until every child is cured. Buy tickets here or bring cash at the door.
Across the river in Newport, Powerhouse
Factories celebrates music festival season with a Summer
Shindig Friday. Enjoy live music from The Pinstripes, a great view from
Powerhouse’s patio, great deals on the factory’s excellent assortment music
posters (BOGO half-off) and frosty beers from MadTree Brewery. The free party
runs 6 p.m.-midnight.
The Fringe Festival continues this weekend
(through June 8), with plenty of original, unusual and just plan weird theater performances throughout the city. Go here
for performance reviews, a complete
festival schedule and the official festival guide. And getcho Fringe on!
The 46th annual Summerfair takes
over Coney Island Friday-Sunday. This festival, one of the oldest continuous
art fairs in the country, features more than 300 fine artists, crafters, youth
arts organizations and performers exhibiting and selling photographs, pottery,
textiles, jewelry and much more.
Are you
a Shark or a Jet? A Greaser or a Soc? A Mod or a Rocker? Do you rock a scooter
or a motorcycle? Either way, folks from “both sides of the tracks” will come
together this weekend for the Queen City Mods & Rockers Rally, a
weekend-long event to promote unity between both types of motor enthusiasts.
Events include family-friendly rides, a pin-up girl contest, a bike rally,
happy hour, a group breakfast and more. A $30 pass gets you admission to all
the three-day events. Go here
for more info.
For more art, shows, festivals, concerts and
events to check out this weekend, peep our To Do picks
full calendar.

This weekend is all mothers, so grab your mom,
grandma, baby-mama or other motherly-type and take her out for a good time! The
next few days are packed with stuff to do, with moms or otherwise.
The 44th annual Appalachian Festival is already in
full gear at Coney Island, with tons of live music, handmade artisan crafts,
storytelling, food and an authentic pioneer village — for those who like to
kick it super old-school. The fest runs until 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $1-$8. Get a full lineup of
activities and performances here.
Cincinnati Rollergirls games are pretty much a
guaranteed good time. Fun, fierce, badass chicks battle on the rink; $1
happy hour beers; hilarious roller derby nicknames; meet-and-greet with the
girls after the game — need we go on? Roll out to the Cincinnati Gardens
Saturday as the CRG face Toronto Roller Derby and The Dire Skates of Richmond,
Ind., in a double-header. Saturday is Scout and Kids Night, so bring the
chillun for a family-friendly event. Get tickets here
and read our interview
with Rollergirl Sydney “Big Ugly” Greathouse.
Whether you’re looking to welcome a furry friend to
your family or you want to treat your pup to a day on the town, head downtown
to the Duke Energy Convention Center for Petopolis Saturday-Sunday. This pet
expo features animal adoption opportunities, pet fashion shows (hopefully
straight out of Anchorman), trick
competitions, demos, informational seminars, activities for the kids and tons
of vendors. Plus, moms will get complimentary pet photos for Mother’s Day. Go
here for more information.
Oktoberfest
is months away, but local German enthusiasts can get their fill of beer,
sausage and Gemütlichkeit
at the
Cincinnati Donauschwaben Society’s Schwabenfest
Friday-Saturday. Have your fill of homemade
sausages, German brews, pretzels and cream puffs, compete in the stein-holding
competition and, if you’re coming from Petopolis, dogs are welcome in the
biergarten.
Maybe you
prefer more American-style fare. In that case, swing by Sawyer Point from 2-10
p.m. Saturday for the Cincinnati Wing Fest. This free food festival features
chicken wings and side dishes ($2+) from Knocback Nat’s, Rooster’s, Montgomery
Inn, Buffalo Wings and Rings and several other area restaurants.
Northside Second
Saturdays is a great opportunity to buy some artwork, jewelry, baked goods,
clothing or home goods for mom (or yourself — no judgment). Stop by local businesses
along Hamilton, Chase and Spring Grove avenues from 6-10 p.m. Saturday for
sales, extended hours, drinks and food specials. Check out a full list of
participating shops, restaurants and bars here.
For more stuff to do this weekend, check out our To Do picks,
full calendar and Rick
Pender’s Stage
Door for weekend theater offerings.

More and more
restaurants and food trucks are offering late-night yums to meet the demands of
the area college students, bar crowds and general night owls. Usually “fourth
meal” conjures up the thought of tacos or pizza, but what about donuts? Busken
has set up a pop-up donut shop at 1218 Vine St. (between A Tavola and Sloane Boutique), open 7
p.m.-midnight Thursdays and 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays through March
16. Here, guests can swing by after dinner or drinks for a free Lite-Hearted
donut, Busken’s new heart-shaped glazed treat. After tasting one of these bad
boys, you’ll be shocked to find they’re only 140 calories a pop. You won’t have
to feel too bad about indulging in a mindnight snack, but you may be left
wondering whose soul Busken had to sell to get these delicious donuts to clock
in at 2.5 grams of fat.
Bockfest might not officially
begin until next weekend, but events leading up to the big parade and festival
are already in full effect. Friday is the annual Precipitation Retaliation
Happy Hour
at Milton’s Tavern. Why the retaliation? In 2008, a huge snowstorm nearly shut
down Bockfest, so the next year a paper snowman was set ablaze as a sacrifice
to the precipitation gods. The burning snowman tradition stuck, and it continues
tonight at 8 p.m. Grab a drink and watch the sucker burn!
In the market for
some unique furniture, home décor or apparel? 20th Century Cincinnati is a must this weekend. The 19th
annual show brings vintage and mid-century modern trends to a one-stop shop at
Sharonville Convention Center. Sixty dealers bring furnishings, paintings,
textiles and much more, filling 20,000 square feet. And fashionistas: There
will be lots of vintage clothing, costume jewelry, accessories and more dating from
the ‘20s to the ‘80s. The showroom is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday;
$7 admission is good for the full weekend. Find more info here.
The Northern suburbs of Cincinnati
sometimes get left out of the city’s biggest celebrations, so they made one
their own! The Taste of Northern Cincinnati, also in the Sharonville CC,
features food from some of the top eateries in the ‘burbs. From noon-4 p.m.
Sunday, attendees will enjoy grub from LaRosa’s, Red Squirrel, Velvet Smoke
BBQ, Blue Goose and more. These restaurants will also be competing for awards
for best appetizer, salad, entrée, dessert and a people’s choice prize.
Admission is $18; $5 for kids.
The Academy
Awards are Sunday and if your invitation also got lost in the mail (every damn
year!), there’s a local way to celebrate. People Working Cooperatively presents
its annual Oscar party at the Hilton Netherland Plaza, complete with a red
carpet, cocktails, dinner, and a live screening of the show. Ticket sales
benefit PWC’s Modifications for Mobility Program, which helps low-income,
elderly and disabled homeowners make important alterations to their houses so
they can remain safe and comfortable in their own homes. Buy tickets and find details here.Check out our To Do list and full calendar for more events, art exhibits, theater shows and concerts.

Northside and OTR
get a lot of neighborhood love, but Walnut Hills is quickly becoming yet
another hot spot for local businesses, art galleries, shopping and more.
Support the Hills Friday and check out the Walk on Woodburn
from 6-9 p.m. Neusole
Glassworks will have a mobile glass-blowing truck, there will be plenty of live
music performances and caroling, Queen City Cookies will be hawking delicious
edible art and pop-up shops will be joining area businesses for all your holiday shopping needs. Read Her Magazine’s feature on the women of
Woodburn here.
This year has been
an a amazing time to live and work in Over-the-Rhine. Businesses, restaurants
and bars are opening every week, Washington Park’s revitalization has been a
success and the area is truly becoming a destination for locals and visitors
alike. On Friday, OTR will shine — and not just figuratively —with luminaries
for the third annual Light Up OTR
event. Volunteers will illuminate the streets beginning at 6 p.m., followed by
the lighting of the OTR tree at Kaze (new sushi spot opening next week at 1400
Vine St.) at 10 p.m.
Make Covington Pop
and Renaissance Covington keep the local love flowing as they present the first
annual 7th Street Makers Market Friday and Saturday. This festival
features area artists, bakers, farmers and business owners as they show off
their handmade and homegrown goods. Purchase gifts or goodies for yourself and enjoy
free gift wrapping at Artisan’s
Enterprise Center (AEC). Come hungry on Friday — there will be a food truck
happy hour outside AEC. The fun runs 5-8 p.m. Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday.
Street style is rapidly
gaining attention in the fashion world. No longer is fashion defined as
couture on a runway model — everyday folks are showing off their personal
style and flair all around cities, especially Cincinnati. Rise of the Cool Kids
(#ROCK) is a celebration of individual style, art and music and it all goes
down Saturday at the Bertke Electric Warehouse in Northside. Guests will get to
be a part of Cincy’s first projected fashion show, filmed in advanced,
featuring local designers and fashionistas. It all kicks off at 7 p.m. and is
followed by an after-party at FB’s downtown (there will also be a free shuttle
going to and from each location.) Get tickets here.
On Saturday, Third
Party Gallery
presents a third installment of its monthly
experimental film program, Staring Eyes. “Yule Logs and
Certain Types of Nog” will feature eclectic holiday-themed screenings — no Miracle on 34th Street here.
The event begins at 8 p.m.
Cincinnati Ballet’s The Nutcracker opens Friday;
OTRimprov’s The Naughty List continues
at Arnold’s Sunday-Tuesday; Find more weekend theater info here.
Check
out our calendar for more events, art shows, theater
productions and more to do this weekend and beyond.

Everyone loves a
good surprise party. What’s better than an unexpected night of fun with
friends? How about supporting an importance local arts organization in the
process? Friday’s Secret ArtWorks event offers an exciting twist on fundraisers as each attendee will walk away with a piece of original artwork. The catch: guests will not know who created their work until it's
been purchased. More than 800 small-scale pieces have been donated by more than
300 locally-, nationally- and internationally-renown artists. Guests were
invited to preview the offerings online, but the secret artists will not be
revealed until tonight. Ticket sales are now over, but tonight’s attendees will
enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a mysterious night of art at The Center
downtown, all to benefit ArtWorks.
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concludes its community concert series “One City, One Symphony” this weekend with the well-loved classic, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
Music Director Designate Louis Langrée conducts the performance; these will be
his final shows with the CSO before starting his role as music director for the
2013-2014 season. Joining the CSO, Langrée and the May Festival Chorus for the
concerts Saturday and Sunday at Music Hall. Go here for tickets.
If you thought this cold
weather meant you had to retire your gold lamé hot pants, dry
your tears and pull those bad boys out, because OTR Skate is back! Channel your inner roller disco
king/queen and roll over to the OTR Rec Center Friday from 8-11 p.m. Five bucks
gets you admission and skate rental, complimentary pizza from Cincy By The
Slice, free gaming from Wii to air hockey, raffle prizes and music from DJ Positronic, The Yugos and Indigo Wild.
Saturday is all
about the little guy as local businesses around the Tri-state take part in
Cincinnati Unchained. Get a head start on your holiday shopping (or, if you’re
like me, take advantage of sales for your own damn self) and visit independent businesses in an
effort to keep your money in the local economy — where it goes much further
than when you drop your cash at a big box chain store. Participating Cincinnati
Unchained shops offer discounts and free goodies to thank shoppers for supporting
local businesses — find a full list here.
Another way to get
in on the conscientious gifting trend is giving handmade presents this holiday. Did
the Holly Hobbie gene skip over you? No worries. The Crafty Supermarket Holiday
Show takes over the Clifton Cultural Arts Center
Saturday. This isn’t your grandma’s church basement craft show — expect
handmade books, cool local artwork, quirky jewelry, textiles, posters, clothing
and many more hand-crafted gifts everyone can appreciate. Plenty of vendors will be on-hand to fuel your shopping in
addition to a DJ, craft demos and — as usual — awesome swag bags for the first
100 shoppers. The party runs 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.
Comedian Erik
Griffin
performs at Funny Bone on the Levee
Friday-Sunday. Workaholics fans know
him best as TelAmeriCorp's Montez Walker, a competitive salesman who has a very healthy sexual
relationship with his wife. Here’s a sample of one of Griffin’s finest Montez
moments:
Check out our
calendar for more art openings, theater shows, concerts
and other events happening this weekend and beyond.

The thought of an
“underground” party might conjure up images of a chic 1920s speakeasy or perhaps
a creepy warehouse rave. Neither is true of Saturday’s Scion Exposed tunnel party,
which is literally underground, at 220 Central Ave. beneath the Second Street overpass.
Part car show, part concert, Scion Exposed features a pop-up skate park, food
trucks, drinks and more, all free from 2 p.m.-midnight. RJD2 headlines the
music stage with support from Chairlift, DAAP Girls and more performing
throughout the day. RSVP here for free admission; Scion
owners get advanced entrance at noon.
Celebrate Halfway
to St. Patrick’s Day during the Cincinnati Celtic Festival
Saturday and Sunday. The free fest moves from Fountain Square to Washington
Park this year, but continues to celebrate all things Celtic with plenty of
music, food and entertainment. Knock back some Guinness, cheer on Irish dancers
and get jig-y to the sounds of bagpipes between noon and 10:30 p.m. both days.
With local Celts
taking over the park, this month’s City Flea moves up the street to the lot at
Twelfth and Vine. Vendors will be hawking everything from clothing and
accessories to home goods and fine art from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The City Flea is a fun one-stop spot to
support local artisans and sellers all under one roof. Sans roof.
Downtown isn’t
hogging all the fun this weekend — Milford’s Longstone Street Festival brings
more than 15 area bands to the ‘burbs Saturday. Area musicians will perform on
two stages along Main Street where kid-friendly activities await (we’re talking
a Velcro wall, bungee joust, rock climbing and more). Saunter through historic
downtown Milford, stop in a few shops and restaurants and enjoy the music from
11 a.m.-11 p.m.
The fun continues
west at the Westwood Art Show, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. More than 70 artists,
crafters and DIY-ers will be selling goods including photography, re-purposed
jewelry and accessories, woodwork, sculptures, pottery, edibles and more.
This weekend’s
theater offerings include Ensemble Theatre’s Good People, The Three Musketeers
at Playhouse in the Park, To Kill a
Mockingbird
at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Covedale’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Peep the links for our reviews of each.Browse our calendar for other events, art exhibits, volunteer opportunities and more to do this weekend.

If the Little Mermaid song “Unda Da Sea” makes
your mouth water, you probably have some odd repressed childhood issues, but
you won’t need to worry about that this weekend during the Great Inland Seafood
Festival! Enjoy your fill of shrimp,
lobster, crawfish, oysters, salmon, crab and more of Ariel’s aquatic friends at
Newport on the Levee from 5-11 p.m. tonight. Admission is free and the seafood
smorgasbord continues through Sunday. Each night features live music and a
special on Whole Main Lobsters: just $10.95 a pop! Sorry, Sebastian.
Comedian Mark
Eddie kicks off his four-night run at Funny Bone on the Levee
tonight. A professional musician for more than a decade, Eddie performed
storytelling songs which led him to try musical comedy. In addition to playing
guitar, Eddie has a knack for impersonations, imitating everything from
celebrities and singers to children’s characters and random noises. Tonight’s
show begins at 8 p.m.
Welsh musician Gruff Rhys, of Super Furry Animals fame, makes a stop at the Contemporary Arts Center
tonight for a unique and super rare performance. As part of his “investigative
tour of the Americas,” Rhys will perform at 8 p.m. before bringing Cincinnati
native and Hip Hop producer Boom Bip onstage. Boom Bip will play a DJ set as
the CAC transforms into a dance party. Anticipate lots of fun surprises from
these two!
Well, there’s really no other
way to say it: Whisky Bar hosts the “baddest little show on Earth” tonight with Extreme Midget Wrestling.
Tickets to the 9 p.m. show are $20 at the door, $25 “ringside.” Don’t worry,
the event poster assures “We support anti-bullying campaigns.”
Ongoing events: Hamilton
County Fair, It's Commonly Jazz at Eden Park, College Hill Block Party,
Salsa on the Square
with Kandela, Jazz in the Park
with Steve Schmidt.